Not so long ago, falsifying documents required real know-how. Today, AI allows anyone to create fake diplomas, contracts or identity documents in just a few seconds.
This development represents a major risk for all French companies, within financial services, but also HR, legal and compliance. According to Sumsub, a company specializing in digital identity verification and fraud detection, fraud attempts involving deepfakes increased by 700% in France between the first quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025. AI-generated documents, called “synthetics”, follow the same trend, with an increase of 281%. The speed of this growth shows how quickly the threat is advancing and affecting all document processes.
Deepfakes and falsified documents: the new scourge that is spreading
Fictitious identities, manipulated contracts and fabricated evidence can all be used to circumvent existing controls. Even ordinary processes, such as onboarding new employees or approving contracts, can be compromised. If organizations rely solely on human or visual verification, they may no longer be able to tell fact from fiction. The attack surface is expanding, and defenses must follow.
A key driver of this threat is the rapid availability of powerful AI models. For example, Alibaba recently introduced its Qwen3 line of hybrid models, capable of generating sophisticated textual and visual content with very little expertise. These tools can be abused to produce falsified documents on a large scale, transforming a previously limited risk into a central security challenge for businesses around the world.
Digital signatures: first line of defense
The most effective protection relies on secure digital signatures, which link the verified identity of the signer to the document and make any changes visible. Advanced or qualified signatures provide strong legal and technical assurance. They also ensure complete traceability: identity of the signatory, date and time of signature, and validation by a trusted authority, essential for HR and legal teams.
This includes reducing manual reviews, accelerating contract approvals, supplier agreements and staff onboarding, while increasing the security and efficiency of workflows.
To ensure their full effectiveness, these practices must be based on a robust regulatory framework. This is precisely the aim of eIDAS 2.0, the new European regulation which will introduce digital identity wallets, strengthen requirements for trust services and ensure better interoperability at the cross-border level.
By aligning themselves today with these standards, companies are not just anticipating compliance: they are positioning themselves as credible players ready for the future, capable of proving the reliability of their documents and their processes to their partners and regulators.
Act now to secure the future
AI-assisted falsification is no longer a distant threat: it is already impacting businesses and progressing at high speed. Those who ignore it expose themselves to financial losses, damage to their reputation and major legal risks. However, the answer exists: adopt secure digital signatures, guarantee reliable audit trails and anticipate regulatory developments. By acting now, organizations are not only protecting themselves against fraud; they send a strong signal to their partners and regulators, proving that they are ready to evolve in a world where authenticity can no longer be taken for granted.
